Pluralism and Toleration in Modern World: With a Focus on John Locke’s Argument of Religious Origins of Toleration

Toleration is a contested concept as well as an unavoidable act of social life that is subject to disputes and challenges that changes and justifies over time.  It closely involves socio-politico-philosophical but disputed concepts in modern society - including pluralism. Therefore, through the lenses of the practice of toleration, accept pluralism can be viewed a set of unescapable diversity challenges mainly in fields politics in contemporary more diversified society. Since toleration means to live and let live but it may also mean to look down upon and disapprove, there is a need to find ways to agree on those differences for which minority groups may require to find the appropriate forms of institutional accommodation. Using the influential work of John Locke as a starting point the paper further investigate the idea that the root of social conflict stems from competing beliefs systems, arguing that it is historically the ability of religion, particularly its distinct cult, to adjust their own comprehensive views to accord with a public conception of consensus. Although there exist considerable but more general debates in the literature in favor of religious toleration, John Locke views toleration from particular groups. So, in this paper, an attempt is made to see whether the limits that he sets to toleration are consistent with his case in favor of it. It is contended that there are two line of debate promoted in this question: the first being whether the argument is valid and consistent, to which here it is said that it is; the second line is that, whether Locke’s emphasis on particular case for toleration is valid or adequate, which here it is rejected.